New Orleans is just warming up for all the excitement and you’re invited. It’s time to thaw out and celebrate spring with sights, sounds and flavors to soothe every soul.

Kick festival season off the right way, and immerse yourself in a cultural experience unlike any other at the 33rd annual French Quarter Festival, April 7-10. Showcasing Louisiana’s rich heritage of food and music, this year’s event will employ more than 1,700 local musicians and feature many in their debut performances at the festival.

If you’re looking for the city’s best pre- and post-fest pastimes, look no further than Windsor Court’s Cocktail Bar and Polo Club Lounge, which feature an impressive live music lineup all their own. Headlined by New Orleans’ songbird Robin Barnes, the roster also includes jazz vocalist Anais St. John, pianist John Royen and soulful songstress Amanda Ducorbier.

At the end of April, fuel the fest and be a part of that number as more than 400,000 visitors from around the world converge in New Orleans to celebrate a stellar lineup of local, national and international musicians. New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, April 22-May 1, is also revered for its signature array of local cuisine, so when you’re running between stages to catch Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon and Pearl Jam, make sure to stop by one of the innumerable food booths to experience the unique flavors of Southeast Louisiana.

Exhausted by the never-ending array of sights, sounds and smells and prefer to sit and savor your meals? Then stop by The Grill Room at Windsor Court, where a skilled team of culinary specialists incorporate locally sourced ingredients into a contemporary, Southern fine dining menu.

And don’t forget to order from the award-winning wine menu, where the recent implementation of the Coravin 1000 System allows the restaurant to offer a rotating list of rare and vintage wines by the glass while keeping them safe from oxidation. The current list of available selections includes a 2007 Bordeaux from Château Mouton-Rothschild and a 1983 Montepulciano d' Abruzzo from Emidio Pepe.

For those who always favor food and wine over music festivals, New Orleans still holds the key to your happiness with NOWFE (New Orleans Wine and Food Experience), May 26-29. Currently in its 23rd year, the event attracts over 10,000 gourmands and connoisseurs to one of most incredible culinary experiences in the nation.